Sunday, February 10, 2013

my ikea room

ta-da! say hello to my new ikea bedroom.
it's nothing to get too excited about, but i really like it.
i found this great place for rent on craigslist, that fulfilled all my 'requirements', and more. i only had to buy the furniture for my room since my roommate had fully furnished everything else.

i mulled over furniture selection quite a bit, and in the end, ikea just won every time. i tried to be as minimalistic as possible, but still extremely functional.

one of the first things i bought before i even moved in was the ceiling lamp. every rental i have ever lived in has lacked a built in ceiling light, and i have often tried to get by with a side standing lamp, which i've never liked. i actually had this very same light in my boston apartment, and decided that i liked it enough to buy again. it diffuses light so much better than a free standing lamp could, and since i spend a lot of time in my room, i consider it a solid decision. and really, while having the long cord stretch across the ceiling and down the wall is not the prettiest, i think it's totally worth it.

i already knew that i wanted most of my furniture to be white. i considered several bed options, keeping in mind the importance of under bed space for extra storage. i nearly went with the simple bed frame at west elm, but realized that i wanted a headboard, so i went with the nordli. i talk about the nightstand in depth here, and it's also featured on ikea hackers.

my craft area on one side of the room. since i have a roommate now, so i have to keep my craft space within my bedroom. it's a smaller version of what i used to have in boston, but this time with a glossy tabletop instead of matte. in theory i would love a larger workspace, but i didn't want to clutter the room. i almost went with a different desk, but i decided having a deep table that fits my cutting mat was essential.

i intentionally arranged my furniture so i can have enough floor space to do pilates. it is just barely enough space for my short legs to flail about without hitting something. i don't love having my bed against the wall, especially since i'd prefer it if i could have a second nightstand, but it's still an acceptable set up.

the other side of my room, with more ikea furniture (plus the tv i got for christmas!). my dresser has two very spacious drawers, with more than enough space for my needs. i was pleased that my shelf fit perfectly between the wall and the door, and it only cost $20.

it was somewhat of a struggle to decipher between my wants and my needs, but in the end, i think i came out okay. every time i have the urge to paint my walls or buy more items, i sternly remind myself that i live in a potentially short-term rental and that i am still sans-job.

i am considering ideas for diy wall decor, but we'll see about that!

happy chinese new year to everyone celebrating! my celebration involved a mostly failed attempt at making chinese new year glutinous rice cake. i intended to post the recipe today, but as it was so sadly unsuccessful, i opted for this instead.